Reels
by Miss Ruby Tuesday
Summary: A story of how everything goes terribly wrong. Sparrabeth, rating for later chapters.


**Disclaimer: I own many things. This is not one of them.**

Will Turner was a good, honest man. He worked hard, didn't drink to excess, rarely gambled, and was loyal to boot. He went about everything with a Panglossian optimism that, unfortunately, made all the easier to betray him. While he might have distrusted Jack, he believed in Elizabeth's inherent virtue and goodness. Above all else, he believed Elizabeth to be a lady and trusted that Jack would do nothing to change that. Believing in this made it far easier to ignore a seemingly ruinous set of circumstances.

They were friends, he knew. She'd told him that much. On their last voyage, they'd had weeks to spend together before finding Will. Jack had, on a whim, started to teach her how to use the various navigational tools. Apparently, she'd shown an unnatural knack for navigation and Jack had gone from humouring her to seriously considering her opinion before choosing any course. The crew had laughed at Jack for trusting in a woman until Elizabeth had been steered them into fair winds and a known trade path several days ahead of plan. She'd beamed with pride when she'd told him in the story later, colouring it with a tinge of braggadocio that reminded him uncomfortably of the captain. It had struck Will as just a little unfair that Elizabeth should be the one to learn navigation; it's not as though she'd ever had much use for it.

Will put his journal down. He'd had enough dwelling for the evening and he could hear the sounds of music drifting down through the boards of the deck. It had been a fair day and the night promised to be comfortable. Perhaps, then, he'd ask Elizabeth to dance a reel with him tonight.

The scene on deck was a cheerful one. They'd taken a good plunder recently and the crew was in high spirits. Gibbs had taken up his fiddle, Marty played the hornpipe, and Ragetti kept the beat. No one was dancing quite yet, but the rhum had been brought out. He could hear that Pintel had started loudly singing a tune about Old Barbaree and the raucous laughter floating over the decks as he changed the winning side from the merchants to the pirates. The song ended to loud clapping and cheers.

"My turn, isn't it, my boys?" Elizabeth yelled over the din. At the sound, Will's heart did a double beat. He decided to hold back and surprise her at the end of her song. He'd never heard her sing before. He supposed she would have, maybe, if she worked the rigging more, but as she was mostly navigating with Jack, she had little opportunity to. He crouched down behind a barrel to listen.

"Oi, Pintel, give me that bottle before they start to play. My throat is parched!" A titter of laughter swept through the crew as, Will assumed, Elizabeth took a healthy swig before she began to sing.

"Now then, Mr. Gibbs, _All For Me Grog_ at your pleasure."

"Aye, Miss Lizzie!" The band began to play again and he could hear her tapping out the beat before she began to sing.

"_It's all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog,  
All gone for beer and tobacco.  
Spent all me tin on the laddies drinking gin,  
And across the western ocean I must wander._"

She paused for the crowd to cheer and Will hear the clink of a bottle again before she boldly went on to the next verse.

"_Where are me boots, me noggy noggy boots,  
They've all gone for beer and tobacco.  
The leather's kicked about and the soles are all wored out,  
And my toes are looking out for better weather._"

A chorus of laughter rose up again. So many of the men aboard the Pearl were barefoot that this was an especially amusing line.

"_Where is me shirt, me noggy noggy shirt,  
It's all gone for beer and tobacco.  
The collar's all wored out and the front is kicked about,  
And my tails are looking out for better weather._"

There were a handful of catcalls at the end of this verse. Will wondered if it was the lyrics or if Elizabeth had offered a glimpse of her shoulder to the crew.

"_Where is me bed, me noggy noggy bed,  
It's all gone for beer and tobacco.  
I lent it to a whore and now it's all a-wore,  
And the springs are looking out for better weather._"

This time the rabble laughed bawdily at the thought of their lady mate lending out her bed to a whore. Will wasn't quite as pleased. He'd seen some of the 'shows' in Tortuga and he knew at least some of the crew would be picturing indecent things about his fiancée later, rather than her kindness,.

Suddenly, the voice singing is not Elizabeth's. Will peered around the side of his barrel to see Jack with his arm wrapped around Elizabeth's waist, holding her bottle of rhum triumphantly in the air.

"_Where is me wench, me noggy noggy wench,  
She's all gone for beer and tobacco.  
Her lips are all worn out and her front is kicked about,  
And her tail is looking out for better weather._"

"Jack, you've ruined my song!" She tried ineffectively to slap at his arm.

"No, dearie, I _improved_ it." He laughed and they both start singing the last verse together.

"_I feel sick in the head and I haven't been to bed,  
Since first I came ashore with me plunder.  
I see centipedes and snakes and I'm full of pains and aches,  
And I think that I should push out over yonder._"

The crew jumped to their feet, yelling and clapping Elizabeth on the back. She mock curtsied holding out the ends of what appears to be one of Jack's sashes tied around her hips. Will stood up from behind the barrel, ready to take her in his arms, but before he had the chance, Gibbs had seized up his fiddle again and started the next reel.

Elizabeth, already in Jack's arms, was whirled into a dance before Will was close enough to speak to her. They spun past Will, so close that Elizabeth's hair brushed his face, and neither spared a glance for him. Their eyes were locked on each other, as though nothing else in the world existed. Will nodded to the musicians as he made his way over to where the rest of the crew had collected. Someone thrust a bottle into his hand and he took a swig. It was fair that Elizabeth would dance Jack first; it wasn't as if Will was there, just waiting for her, and he was the captain. They were friends.

The song wound down and Jack bent in close to her face and for a horrified moment, Will was convinced that he was going to kiss her. Instead, she laughed and pulled away from him, brushing her hand across his cheek.

"Will!" she cried, turning from Jack and pushing her way across to him. He smiled at her, but it was not as wholeheartedly as he usually managed. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him, making him sway with her. He could smell the rhum on her breath.

"Elizabeth, how much have you had to drink?" he scolded. Her smile disappeared and she pushed him back to arms' length.

"Only a smidgen," she declared recalcitrantly, her arm sweeping out. "What does it matter to you, anyway?" Her finger poked him square in the chest before her gaze shifted back towards Jack for a fraction of a second, then returning to meet Will's eyes. Will sighed.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I just worry. You know that," he pleaded, trying to stave off a row.

"Well, I'm fine. I _was_ having a good time." The trace of annoyance in her voice stung him. He didn't feel like he had been that much of a wet blanket.

"I know and I said I was sorry, but--" he stopped, abruptly. "Are you wearing one of Jack's shirts?" For a moment, she looked as though she wouldn't answer him.

"Oh... Yes. I spilled ink on my other one earlier. It was filthy anyway," she said offhandedly. It was a plausible enough story, but something about it sat ill with him. At any rate, he wasn't about to pursue it any further. She'd been so temperamental lately, he was worried if he pushed her, she'd storm off and not speak to him for days more. "Would you care to dance this next song?"

"Oh, Will, I'd love to," she rubbed her hand over his shoulder. "But I'm on for middle watch tonight." She turned away to look over at Jack, already at the helm, and her hand started to slip off Will's shoulder. "And Jack's promised to teach me to steer. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yes. Exciting," he muttered to her. "You must be learning the navigation well."

Before she could answer him, one of the crew clanged first bell of the middle watch. Her hand totally dropped off Will's shoulder, leaving a cold spot in its wake.

"I'm sorry, Will, I've got to go." She brushed a kiss against his cheek before practically fleeing to the quarterdeck. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, there would be another night to dance on, and that he had the misfortune of morning watch, anyway. He'd have to get a few hours of sleep. With a last glance back at his fiancée, he headed forward to the crews' hammocks.

* * *

_Author's Notes: Not many, but this will end up being a long one. My writing of this is being helped by the ever talented LadyPirate and without her, this would have been relegated to the back of the queue._


End file.
